1. Technical Field
This invention relates to the field of wireless repeaters, and more particularly to a method and system for deploying a communication network using wireless repeaters.
2. Description of the Related Art
Emergency services organizations will soon have the option of creating dynamic radio (ad hoc networking) networks in structures and in wildland scenarios such as wildland fires. Each radio in the dynamic radio network can function as a repeater for network communications. If the radio devices are not uniformly distributed (by radios moving about on persons and vehicles), a coverage grid of the dynamic network will have dead spots resulting in poor or incomplete coverage. Therefore, the deployment of multiple repeaters can be necessary in order to assure complete coverage within the grid.
When these repeaters are deployed dynamically (particularly in an emergency) there currently are no means of rapidly assuring complete coverage within the grid. In addition, while many conventional ad hoc networking technologies provide for some form of horizontal and vertical location information, none of them provide floor level accuracy. This is because of the accuracy of the vertical resolution creates uncertainties to what floor the device is on (based on distance) as well as the fact that floors in buildings are not uniformly spaced or necessarily counted (many buildings skip assigning a floor level due to cultural superstitions or otherwise, for example some buildings do not include a 4th or a 13th floor).
No known system provides for an optimized dynamic placement of radio repeaters nor do they provide for a floor indication capability. Most existing techniques are generally used to create an ideal overall network for later placement (rather than dynamically) or are specific radio techniques to repeat signals in building. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,668,562 to Cutrer, et. al. (Cutrer) discusses the placement of a set of test antennas in a building and then using the measurements from the test antennas to create an optimized network of fixed antennas established at indicated locations within the building. Cutrer also teaches using previously compiled placement data as a starting point for determining placements of fixed antenna within a new building, where the new building is similar to a previously tested building, and where the previously compiled placement data was for the previously tested building.
Note, according to Cutrer, the device to be deployed itself is not doing the measurement and measurements are not taken in real-time. Additionally, Cutrer has a goal of creating an ideal network for the building rather than creating an efficient and rapidly deployed network for a current (emergency) need. Cutrer also fails to provide devices that are self-sampling and instead uses the results of a test network. Furthermore, Cutrer fails to provide the capability of ‘knowing’ its vertical placement (i.e., floor).
Other repeater systems as found in U.S. Pat. No. 3,825,829 generally discusses the concept of using radio repeaters in buildings and again fails to discuss a dynamic deployment of repeaters having an ability to easily catalog and broadcast what floor they are on. Another repeater system in U.S. Pat. No. 5,832,365 discusses the phase shifting of signals and the selection of antenna patterns in statically deployed in-building networks. Once again, this patent fails to discuss real-time sensing and ideal placement of real-time deployments nor the ability to indicate floor levels or vertical units.